They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but today it’s in the eye of the blogger!

…Hopefully you at least chuckled at that joke.

On another subject, want to know how to start a beauty blog? It’s actually really simple, but it takes a lot of work to get it off the ground. Today I’m going to take you through the process, and then I’ll show you what makes a beauty blog tick. Why stop there though? Why not give you a handy list of topics for beauty blogs to write about?

In short, here’s the full rundown for today’s post:

A quick guide to starting your blog

The 3 major components of a beauty blog’s success

10 blog topics for a beauty blogger

Your 10-Minute Guide to Starting a Blog

The process of starting a blog is the same for everyone. Once it’s up and running, that’s when things start to branch out into the countless niches and sub-topics. In all, it’s only three simple components that you need, and in many cases you can get them all from one place. They are the following:

Your Domain

Your Hosting Service

Your Blogging Platform

1. Choosing a Domain Name

Your domain name is the web address, or URL, that points to your blog. For a beauty blog, this needs to speak to your overall concept and your brand. Remember though that no two domains are the same, so you may have to try a few ideas.

Regardless, just remember to keep it short, simple, and easy to remember. Those are the most important aspects of a good domain name.

2. Deciding on a Hosting Service

If you think of the internet like a hotel, then a hosting service is how you rent your space. With hosting, your blog is put online and stored on a server so that anyone can access it at any time. There are plenty of options out there. In many cases you can buy your hosting and your domain for a year for less than the price of a Starbucks coffee per month.

3. Choose Your Blogging Platform

There are several major blogging platforms which are the programs you use to design and publish posts. That being said, WordPress is far and away the most user-friendly and the most popular. It feels a lot like Microsoft Word, but it has enough depth for people with web design and coding skill sets to dive in and get their hands dirty.

WordPress also has plugins and themes which make a blogger’s life infinitely easier. Themes will help you get a professional design in place, while plugins will perform a myriad of tasks for you with the click of a button.

Once you’ve set up your blog, you’re ready to start molding it into a beautiful masterpiece of a beauty blog.

1. A Strong Sense of Identity (Be Yourself!)

While it’s important to take a look at what other bloggers in your niche are doing, you should never try to be someone you’re not. A true beauty blogger has a unique idea of how he or she wants to change the world and how we dress ourselves up for daily life.

That’s your key, so don’t let anything keep you from being you. While it may feel like you need to fit in or beat the competition, that’s really not the case. In reality, there’s room for everyone in the world of beauty blogging. You just need to find your place.

In short, people need to know the real you, not some persona. Being real and authentic is key. Putting yourself out there is also important. Make sure you have a picture and an “About Me” page on your blog.

2. Social Media Profiles

On top of this, you need to have profiles relating to your blog on various social media sites that you use to promote your knew posts and images.

For beauty bloggers, you need to be on these sites:

Instagram

Pinterest

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

3. Images, Pictures, Tutorial Videos, Oh My!

Beauty blogs need to have a strong visual presence. Explaining how to apply gloss or how to properly use a product isn’t enough. People need to see pictures, video tutorials, images of the product, and everything in between!

Beauty blogging is more about showing than telling, hence the social media suggestions above. Tell people about your awesome ideas, and then back then up with real proof!

10 Blog Topic Ideas for Beauty Bloggers

Even if you’re a blogging expert, sometimes you just need a good jolt of inspiration to get those blog post ideas flowing. For beauty bloggers, it can be daunting try to figure out what post should come up next in the queue.

Go beyond simply saying whether it’s good or bad. Talk about where it comes from, where it’s made, what is costs, and anything else your readers may want to know. Whether or not it’s cruelty-free is a big topic right now.

2. Makeup Tool Recommendations

Every tool used for makeup has a specialized purpose. Finding out which ones were best for particular types of makeup can be difficult, so make it easy. A great example would be a post on the Best Makeup Tools for Applying Foundation.

3. Create a list of Your Favorite Discontinued Products

Just because they don’t make them anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t reminisce. Try putting together a list of those products you can’t find anymore, but you miss them. Nostalgia is a powerful thing!

4. Notify Your Readers About Great Sales

Whether it’s a daily deal on Amazon, or a major website is doing a massive sale, if there’s something big going on in your corner of the blogging world, then let your readers know! They’ll certainly appreciate it.

5. Makeup Tutorials

Being Matt Banner, I don’t put on makeup much. There’s special occasions, but usually what you see is what you get. That being said, it’s not an easy task, so if I did, I would want a video tutorial to help me figure out what goes where.

If you’ve got a good trick for getting that eyeliner on without smearing or a cool way of applying other types of makeup, share with the world and show us how it’s done!

6. Interviews with Other Bloggers

Do you have another beauty blogger that you love reading when they post something? Why not ask them to do an interview with you? You can record it, or just have them answer some questions that your readers would be interested in.

They get a great promotion for their site, and you get some awesome content for your readers. It’s a win-win!

7. Run Contests or Giveaways

Nothing like free stuff to get people excited. If you have a favorite makeup set or maybe some promotional products that you would want to give away, try putting together something for your readers to win some of these products.

You could do a simple giveaway, or you could hold a contest, maybe have people submit videos or posts and you could feature the winner or winners on the site.

8. Lists of Your Favorite Products by Type

Try putting together posts focused on one type of product (like eyeliner, mascara,) and list out your favorite brands and options for this type of makeup. You could also do lists like these within a specific budget or for certain types of makeup styles. The possibilities are endless!

9. Ask Your Readers to Submit Their Ideas

If you’re in a slump, the best people to ask for help are your readers. Put up a quick post and tell them you’re taking ideas for posts. Offer to give them credit for the idea and you’ll be surprised at how many people are ready and willing to assist you and have their blog post ideas become a reality.

10. Event-Specific Beauty Guides

Ever wondered how you should do your makeup for a wedding? What about an 80’s party? Sometimes the occasion calls for a specific makeup style, and your readers probably want to know which one works for which from an expert like yourself.

This is another option to do a series of posts based on different events or occasions. Remember that a lot of these ideas have legs beyond a single post.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to start a beauty blog is just the beginning. That knowledge is enough to get you off the ground, but from there you need to remember what components make a great blog, and use them to generate some awesome post ideas. Luckily, you’ve got everything you need here at On Blast Blog.

Do you have a beauty blog? If not, what’s holding you back? Questions and comments are welcome in the comments below so share your thoughts!